Colleen Brennan
MPH, BSN
CEO & C0-Founder
Colleen Brennan is a nurse and humanitarian who has dedicated her career to improving the lives of women and children in developing countries. She is the co-founder and CEO of XO World Project Foundation, which provides free medical care, training, and infrastructure support to underserved communities around the world.
Brennan earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Saint Peters University and worked as a pediatric oncology and ICU nurse for 15 years. In 2008, she became President and Director of Operation International-Kids, a nonprofit medical outreach that provides free healthcare for women and children in developing countries.
Brennan earned her Master's degree in Public Health and Global Health certification from New York Medical College. She then developed and implemented programs to provide free medical care, train local medical professionals, and improve hospital infrastructure.
In 2023, Brennan co-founded XO World Project Foundation with Dr. Stephanie Cohen. The foundation's programs now include providing clean drinking water, increasing food security, and empowering women through education and commerce.
Brennan is passionate about using her skills to make a difference in the world, and she is committed to creating a more equitable and just future
for all.
Stephanie Cohen MD
Co-Founder
Dr. Stephanie M. Cohen did her undergraduate work at Brandeis University in Boston and earned her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington D.C. where she was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. Dr. Cohen went on to complete her General Surgery training at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City and was certified by the American Board of Surgery. Dr. Cohen then went on to complete plastic surgery training at the New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
Dr. Stephanie is the co-founder of XO World Project Foundation, which provides free medical care, training, and infrastructure support to underserved communities around the world.
While there, Dr. Cohen developed a special interest and skill in the area of reconstructive surgery, especially concentrated on the breast. Dr. Cohen became the Divisional Head of Breast Reconstruction at Hackensack University Medical Center in 2008. Her dedication to breast reconstruction has continued for more than 25 years and has developed in several directions.
She enjoys providing comprehensive breast cancer reconstruction to patients in a supportive environment that also strives to solve the most complex problems with the least complex solutions. Her skill with revisional surgery for breast reconstruction has become a particular interest attracting patients from all over the country. In fact, her craft has earned her the nickname of “breast whisperer” from her fellow colleagues and patients.
A long-time dream of Dr. Cohen’s was to travel to developing countries and provide expert surgical care to those who have no other possible access to medical care. This became a reality in 2008 when she became a founding member, Chief Surgeon, and Vice President of Operation International Kids. Op Kids is a surgical mission dedicated to the treatment of pediatric surgical and medical disorders. Through yearly missions to places such as Kenya, Egypt, Peru, Ghana, and others, Dr. Cohen has operated on more than 350 children with disorders ranging from cleft lip and palate to debilitating burns. Currently in development is the expansion of this mission to help develop improvements for overall health in the communities to which she travels.